1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information retrieval system including an autochanger for autochanging information-recorded media such as optical disks, laser disks, compact disks, microfilms, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional image retrieval system for storing image data in an optical disk in order to store an image and retrieve the stored image data, is constructed such that both the image data and the retrieval data for retrieving the image data are stored in a removable optical disk, the image data being retrieved in accordance with the retrieval data.
It is considered that a plurality of optical disks can be autochanged using an auto diskchanger.
However, when the image data is retrieved from a plurality of optical disks, a user must instruct the autochanger to select a suitable optical disk which is transported to a disk drive within the electric file. Subsequently, he/she must retrieve the targeted image from the optical disk in accordance with the retrieval data stored in the optical disk. If the targeted image does not reside in the optical disk selected by the user, the user must enter another instruction to select another optical disk and continue to attempt to retrieve the targeted image as described above until the targeted image is found. Thus, the more optical disks stored in the auto diskchanger, the more time-consuming and troublesome the operation of the apparatus becomes.